Title : Patient’s attitude and preference towards medical students involvement in their health care in Tabuk region in Saudi Arabia
Abstract:
Introduction: Medical students are the future health professionals. To fulfill this role, they should be involved in patient care during their training years. Encounters with patients can promote contextual and clinical learning, improve communication and professional skills and initiate the development of future doctor-patient relationships.
Objectives: To explore patient’s attitude and preference towards the presence and involvement of students in their health care and factors that can influence patients decision regarding students participation in their care.
Materials &Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted fromApril - August 2014 at King Khalid Hospital in Tabuk Region, Saudi Arabia. Participants were randomly selected from outpatient clinics and inpatient wards. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, and data analysis was performed using SPSS.
Results: Out of 305 participants, 240(78.68%) were selected from the outpatient clinic (Group?) who were seen in the medical (43,75%), OBGYN (37.9%) and surgery clinics (18.3%). From inpatient wards (Group?) 65 participants were recruited, 40% from surgical, 35.4% from medical and 24.6% from OBGYN wards. 130 participants (107 (45%) in Group? and 23 (35.4) in Group? reported a positive attitude regarding presence of students during consultation. However, that was not the case regarding the presence of students during their examination where only 54 participants (35 (15%) Group I, and (19 (29%) groupII) accepted their presence. Gender of the student is one of the major factors for participants to accept medical students to examine them. Being a female medical student is a positive factor for the participant to allow students to examine them.
Conclusions: The results demonstrate that participants are positive towards female medical students’ involvement in their health care. However, being a male medical student can pose a challenge to develop the required clinical skill since most participants refuse their involvement in their health care.
Audience Take Away Notes:
Explore patient’s attitude and preference towards the presence and involvement of students in their health care and factors that can influence patients decision regarding students participation in their care.
